Hard to believe it has been 11 days since I have written to you. First of all I know you are waiting to know how Dan is and he is fine! No infection and the doctor has taken him off one of his meds because his cortisol level continues to be normal. Good news! This week on Wednesday he will have another chemotherapy treatment and Bob will be able to go with us to Stanford since it is his day off.
My days have been a mix of busy and quiet. It has been good for me to sit and be quiet and begin dealing with all the emotions of the past four months. What a blessing it is to have family and friends too that I can share my heart with.
Yesterday I had the privilege of sharing with the boys at juvenile hall for a “church service”. I have 1 hour with them. What difference can I make in their lives in ONE hour? I share my heart and the Word of God. What a joy it was to share with them about Dan and the circumstances of his life. These boys are not much younger than him. I know it hit home. Many of them gave their lives to the Lord. The witness of Dan’s life and faith made an eternal impact on these boys. I shared too from the Word and I told them of my daily need to hear from God through his Word to sustain me through these hard days. We talked about controlling what we can in our lives, our attitudes and actions, and often not our circumstances. We finished by going through the alphabet and calling out the attributes of God, an exercise that I have used many times these past four months to keep my mind on my Lord and who He is. Thank you Lord for the salvation of these young men! Join me in prayer for them as they begin walking in faith and trust in the Lord Jesus.
Paul, a man who had killed Christians before his encounter with the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus, wrote to the Philippians while he was in jail (these facts did not go unnoticed by the boys):
Phil 1:2-6
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Phil 2:3-11
Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Phil. 3:7-14
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Phil 4: 4-13
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity. Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
May the Lord strengthen us today to honor and glorify Him in all ways.
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